A first for blind people hoping to have a guide cat ended in disappointment, with the trial abruptly interrupted.
“Kitty? Kitty?” It was almost 11 a.m. on a quiet Tuesday on Rue Raspail in Villeurbanne when Jean-Louis Boussard, who has been blind since birth, called his new guide cat, Olympe, an 8-month-old Siberian cat. Jean-Louis, still in shock, recounts the experience: “From the first steps, it was clear that Olympe wasn’t focusing on me. On the contrary, he seemed more interested in exploring his surroundings.”
Just a few minutes into their walk to the pharmacy, Jean-Louis found himself alone, while Olympe had escaped from his harness, eager to chase away a small sparrow that was fluttering nearby. A passerby who witnessed the scene described: “Jean-Louis tried to call his guide, but the cat had gone off on an adventure. He didn’t even turn around.” Bewildered, Jean-Louis was eventually helped by a kind stranger who helped him get home.
Stéphane Basset, a trainer at the Lyon School of Guide Dogs and Cats, expressed his frustration: “For months, Olympe was attentive and passed all the tests with flying colors. But with cats, it’s always unpredictable.” Despite this setback, Stéphane admits that the guide animal project is not abandoned. “We are currently training a hyena to see if other animals are more likely to stay focused on their task. Even though our first attempts have resulted in a few mishaps, I remain hopeful.”
As the project evolves, trainers and future guide cat owners remain cautiously optimistic, hoping that future animal candidates will prove more reliable. The story certainly added humor to the concept of guide animals, but it also raised questions about which animals are truly suited to such responsibilities.
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